A Wild Trip to Neverland with Peter and the Starcatcher

The cast of WDL's production, Peter and the Starcatcher. 

Photo by John McCafferty, MJ Mac Productions.

By Mike Logothetis
“No man is an archipelago.” That’s one pearl of wisdom I learned at the Wilmington Drama League’s production of Peter and the Starcatcher – a wildly theatrical “origin story” of one of literature’s favorite mischievous boys, Peter Pan.

Adapted from Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson’s best-selling 2004 novel, the 2011 play was conceived for the stage by directors Roger Rees and Alex Timbers and written by Rick Elice, with music by Wayne Barker. The Tony Award-winning show upends the century-old story of how a miserable orphan came to be “The Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up.”

WDL director Rebecca May Flowers utilizes a competent ensemble cast to fully realize the wackiness of the storyline set in the late 19th Century. Creative props and acute stage timing make sure the action never stops. Though Peter and the Starcatcher often employs 21st Century terms, it’s still set at a time when duty often clouded emotion, plus gender and class were defining/limiting characteristics.

It took about 10 minutes for the show to congeal into a coherent plot after unevenly developing the setting and characters with first- and third-person dialog coupled with breaking of the fourth wall. It’s a little much to grasp to start a play, but the WDL does well with what is provided in terms of script. Once the audience is set on who’s who and what’s what, the cast takes us on an enjoyable romp through all sorts of adventures. You won’t need to know “Norse Code” to appreciate the treasures of this production.

The fantastical story includes a spunky girl, an ocean voyage, a cargo of something called stardust, pirates, a shipwreck, mermaids, islanders, and three orphans – one of whom is without a name. While the tale is linear in its construction, the action gloriously yanks us from side to side with funny situations, physical comedy, and hilarious malapropisms.

Molly Aster (Talia Speak) is at the center of it all. Teenage Molly is dutifully bound to her father, Lord Aster (Tony DelNegro), but has a strong independent streak which leads her to discover Ted (Catherine Enslen), Prentiss (Lauren Unterberger), and an unnamed boy (Gianni Palmarini) detained in the cargo hold of a ship called the Neverland. Scheming Captain Slank, played by an excellent Ruthie Holland, has plans to sell the boys and profit from the secret cargo of stardust he’s deviously acquired.

Meanwhile, Lord Aster is aboard the Wasp protecting a trunk containing what he believes is the stardust. When pirates raid the Wasp in search of the magical cargo, both Lord Aster’s and Molly’s plans fly out the window. Molly is compelled to free the boy captives on the Neverland, protect the precious cargo, and save her imprisoned father on the Wasp. Poor nanny Mrs. Bumbrake (Kathy Harris) cannot keep up with her charge, the energetic Molly, but thankfully finds comfort in the arms of flatulent sailor Alf (Catherine Glen). Their love story is a successful comedic side plot within a comedy.

The pirate captain Black Stache (Alfred Lance) is a cyclone of chaos who is “all swash and no buckle.” Lance is outstanding and every time he prowls the stage, your eyes fixate on him. “Now you’re likely wondering, can the fellow before you be entirely evil? Can no compassion uncrease this furrowed brew?” Black Stache says. “Brow,” his pirate lieutenant Smee (Molly Pratzner) corrects. It’s clever wordplay like this that makes this show a must-see. (There’s even a wonderful poetry battle built into the show!)

A special bond grows between Molly and the unnamed boy – who later receives the moniker “Peter Pan” in an interesting and magical way. Molly, Peter and the two other orphans make their way through varied obstacles (e.g., a shipwreck) and antagonists, like the island native Mollusks who menacingly chant Italian food names.

I won’t reveal any spoilers, but I will insist that you are comfortably in your seat at the start of the second act so as not to miss the opening number involving almost everyone in the show. The ensemble cast play multiple roles and is rounded out by Hayley Hughes, Autumn Moore, and Felicia Walker.

Sean Flowers’ scenic design and clever props allow toy ships to become real ones, umbrellas to form a jungle, ropes to define portals, and a blue glove to morph into a bird. It’s all very effective.

Pianist/percussionist Tom Mucchetti provides timely accompaniment to the action on stage while sitting in the middle of all the madness.

From marauding pirates and jungle natives to unwilling comrades and unlikely heroes, Peter and the Starcatcher playfully explores the bonds of friendship, duty, and love. Don’t miss out on the adventure!

This production of Peter and the Starcatcher at Wilmington Drama League runs through November 19 at the theater on Lea Boulevard in Wilmington. Tickets cost $10-15 for both evening and matinee shows. Performances are at 8:00pm on November 10, 11, 17 and 18 and at 2:00pm on November 12 and 19.

“TTFN!” – in other words, “Ta-ta for now!”

See www.wilmingtondramaleague.org.

Finally, Some American Idiots with Something to Say (or Sing)

By Guest Blogger, Dan Sanchez

Dan holds a BA in Theatre Production from the University of Delaware and has studied theatre around the world. Dan has worked extensively both onstage and behind the scenes across the Mid-Atlantic Region with theaters such as Three Little Bakers, The Candlelight Theatre, the Philadelphia Theatre Project, The Milburn Stone Theatre and Phoenix Festival Theater. 

“If you don’t like sex, drugs, rock-and-roll, and cursing, you’re in the wrong show,” said Wilmington Drama League's Stage/Production Manager, Kathy Buterbaugh during her Saturday, June 10, curtain speech. “This is a 90-minute show without an intermission; so I hope you have three beers because once this thing starts, it just goes!”

And, boy, does it! Based on Green Day’s 2004 album American Idiot, Director Chris Turner brings the show to life on the Wilmington Drama League (WDL) stage with a cacophony of song and dance in a story of love, loss and redemption.

Originally conceived as a rock-opera by Green Day frontman Billy Joe Armstrong, the band had always intended for this music be performed on stage a la The Who’s Tommy, and used their 2004 album release as a sort of demo. Flash forward to September 2009: The show is running at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre, California. It was then transferred to the St. James Theatre on Broadway where the musical officially opened on April 20, 2010. The show closed on April 24, 2011 after 422 performances.

The musical won two 2010 Tony Awards for Best Scenic Design of a Musical and Best Lighting Design of a Musical. It was also nominated for Best Musical that same year but lost out to Memphis. In 2011, the Broadway Cast Recording of American Idiot won a Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album.

The basic storyline of American Idiot is flimsy but familiar: Three young suburbanite kids get bored/feel trapped with their mundane lives – as well as mommy and daddy’s rules – and decide to break free.

Subsequently, one (Will, played by William Bryant) stays home after finding out his girlfriend, Heather, is expecting. Another (Tunny, played by Ben Long) joins the military and is shipped off to war. And, in a role originated by and named for Wilmington native Johnny Gallagher, Jr. (Original Cast of Spring Awakening. TV & Film: The Newsroom, 10 Cloverfield Lane) is Brandon Zebley as Johnny, who yearns to break free and live a less than humdrum life, ultimately turns to drugs.

Rounding out the cast of Wilmington Drama League production is an energetic bunch of local talent: Alexander Cook, Gina Dzielak, Kendra Eckbold, Marion Jackson (Heather), Daulton Mahley, Darby McLaughlin (Whatshername), Ty Pride (Extraordinary Girl), Felipe Rocha, Chrissy Stief and Shane Wilson.

Tony Delnegro’s interactive set features multiple levels, a plethora of flatscreen TVs, graffiti, and gives a sense of an urban everywhere and a dystopian nowhere, providing an ample playground for the shows many locales. Combined with smart lighting design by Aaron Cook and Brian Kavanaugh, this production also employs two projectors focused on the walls of the house to immerse the audience in a world of ever-changing imagery – by Banksy, a city skyline and more – to set the mood perfectly.

The choreography by WDL perennial Dominic Santos manipulates tribal-like movements and punk-rock head-banging to evoke the angst and feelings of disenfranchised young adults.

Standout performances among the talented cast come from the ladies opposite of our main character trio; Marion Jackson as the pregnant and disappointed Heather; Darby McLaughlin as the sultry vixen Whatshername; and Ty Pride as the Extraordinary Girl. Each of these young ladies have angelic voices that effortlessly soar through each song they belt.

The real highlight of this show, however, is the band who rocks out on this non-stop wave of music with the energy and vigor of an actual Green Day concert. But, of particular note, is Music Director/Band Leader, Caty Butler. This young talent takes the stage for the first time in American Idiot as the enticing smack dealer St. Jimmy, a role traditionally played by a man and one she only stepped into a week before opening. Butler outright owns this role and commands the stage with her vocal prowess. I look forward to watching her continue grow as a musician and wait with baited breath to see her onstage as an actor again.

Though I did over hear an older patron ask, “What the hell did I just watch?” after the show, I would say that’s a good indication that this ain’t your NaNa’s Broadway and highly recommend checking out the charismatic production of this high-concept rock-opera before it’s gone.

American Idiot at the Wilmington Drama League runs through June 18. Tickets are available via the Drama League website www.WilmingtonDramaLeague.org or via phone at 302.764.1172.